USA > New York > Genesee County > History of the Genesee country (western New York) comprising the counties of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates, Volume IV > Part 69
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FREDERICK JAMES.
Frederick James, one of the best known business men in Rochester, is the head of James & Company, dealers in employes' time-recording clocks, a business that Mr. James founded over thirty years ago. He was born in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, January 9, 1868, a son of Joseph and Katherine (Hubbs) James, the former a native of the Republic of Brazil, South America, and the latter of the town of Syos- set, New York. The father was a seafaring man and became an officer on sailing vessels and traders which called at ports in all parts of the world. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. James: John, whose home is in California; Frederick; Mortimer, deceased; and Mrs. Florence Field, a resident of Buffalo, New York.
Frederick James attended the public school of Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, and when a boy of thirteen came to Rochester. Here he obtained a position in the post office, where he was employed for a short time, working under D. T. Hunt, and then entered the crockery store of H. C. Wisner, with whom he remained for four years. On the expiration of that period he became connected with the Wright & Peters Shoe Company of Rochester and for many years was in the service of that firm, gaining a thorough knowledge of mercantile affairs. In 1891 Mr. James saw a good opening in commercial circles of the city and started out for himself on bor- rowed capital. Since its inception the business has grown rapidly and has become the most extensive in its line in western New York. Mr. James is now erecting a building on Richmond street. It is a fire proof structure with a glazed brick front, artistically designed, and when completed will be one of the finest buildings in that section of the city. Mr. James has reserved the major portion of this building for his business. He specializes in the sale of employes' time-recording clocks and his sons are now associated with him in the business, which is operated under the style of James & Company. Mr. James is guided by the Golden Rule in his dealings with the public and has built up an extensive trade as the result of his close application, capable management and honorable methods.
In Rochester, on the 12th of February, 1891, Mr. James was married to Miss Kate W. Eustace, a daughter of Joshua and Belle Eustace of this city. Mr. and Mrs. James have two sons: Leon W., who was born in Rochester in 1892, married Miss Mabel Tarrant, of Rochester, and is now a member of the firm of James & Company, and Robert F., who was born in New York city in 1904, finished his education at the University of Michigan, is an engineer in the United States Aviation Corps with the rank of lieutenant and is associated with James & Company.
Frederick James is a prominent member of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce and since 1922 has had charge of its annual cruise. These outings are so well arranged and have proved so enjoyable that the attendance has been doubled within the past two years. The vessel chartered for this purpose is taxed to its full capacity and those desiring to take the trip are obliged to make reservations months in ad- vance. Mr. James has done a great deal of hard work in his handling of these out-
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ings, but he has achieved a big success in their management. One of his greatest traits of character is his determination. Another trait, no less prominent, is the personal pride to make a success of whatever he undertakes. He is always ready to lend his support to any movement which commends itself to his judgment as one to advance the public welfare, and his public spirit has never been lacking. During the great University drive, when Rochester set a record for the cities of the country, Mr. James was a team captain and his team not only exceeded its quota but was among the highest in total subscriptions. During the World war he was in the service and at the time of the influenza epidemic had charge of five hospitals, being con- nected with the commissary department, Headquarters Company. He is a member of the Rotary Club and in Masonry has attained the Knights Templar degree. It is nearly forty-five years since Mr. James came to Rochester and many of his best friends are those who have known him longest. He enjoys probably as wide an acquaintanceship as any man in Rochester outside of public life. He has always held to high ideals in his business relations, thereby establishing the highest credit and a reputation for commercial integrity that is not surpassed in the city of Roches- ter. His friends feel for him a peculiar esteem, not only for his progress from a very modest beginning in his business career, but for his many wholesome qualities of mind and heart. Genial and optimistic by nature, Mr. James extracts from life the real essence of living. His residence is at No. 975 Park avenue.
RANSOM PRATT.
Ransom Pratt, the maternal grandfather of Jervis Langdon, head of the firm, of J. Langdon & Company, was one of the pioneer builders of Elmira and the name is an honored one in the history of the city. The establishment of the woolen mills on Newton creck in 1842 was an undertaking that promised much for the future of this district. They were started by Daniel and Ransom Pratt, two farsighted Scotchmen, whose forethought was backed by great prudence and industry. They were the first to introduce into Chemung county a power loom and wool-condensing machine and conducted a small woolen manufacturing business, also doing custom wool carding and cloth dressing. Their mill was destroyed by fire in 1848, and they immediately made plans to rebuild on a larger scale, organizing a company and incorporating the busi- ness. Their trade grew rapidly during the period of the Civil war, and they became very wealthy. They founded the Second National Bank in 1863 and were equally suc- cessful in the field of finance. They were foremost in all projects which are basic ele- ments in a city's growth and enjoyed an unassailable reputation for business enterprise and integrity.
ERNEST LEGRAND WYCKOFF.
The record of no business man of Elmira has stood in larger measure as a syn- onym for enterprise, honor and integrity than that of Ernest L. Wyckoff, who passed away in this city in 1904, at the age of fifty-two years, and the place which he held in the regard of his fellow citizens was evidenced by the deep and widespread regret which followed his demise. Mr. Wyckoff was a member of one of the old Dutch fam- ilies of New York and was born in Wellsburg, this state, in 1852. He was a son of Arcalvus Wyckoff, whose natal day was April 10, 1816, and a grandson of Peter Wyckoff, whose birth occurred in 1785. The American progenitor, of the Wyckoff family was a native of Holland and came to this country with the colony that founded the town of New Amsterdam, New York.
As a boy Ernest L. Wyckoff came to Elmira with his father, and in the public schools of this city he received his education. Arcalvus Wyckoff was the possessor of creative powers and original ideas and invented a covering for wooden. water pipes and steam pipes, rendering them impervious to cold and moisture. His son Ernest. engaged in the manufacture of this covering and through untiring effort and capable management built up an industry of large proportions. The business is operated under the name of A. Wyckoff & Company and is now owned by Mrs. Wyckoff, who adheres closely to the policy inaugurated by her husband, displaying keen sagacity in the conduct of her affairs.
In 1872 Mr. Wyckoff married Miss Alice Brooks, a daughter of Benjamin Van Campen and Lucy (Miller) Brooks, both of whom were natives of Smithsboro, New
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York. For some years her father followed the occupation of farming and later en- gaged in the lumber business. He was a son of James Brooks, a veteran of the Revo- lutionary war. Mrs. Wyckoff was born on her father's farm at Smithsboro and com- pleted her education at Owego, New York. She is descended in a direct line from Jesse Miller, Jonathan Miller, Eli Seeley, Ludwig White and Increase Miller, all of whom fought in the Revolutionary war, and she has six bars on her D. A. R. pin. She is one of the most prominent members of the order in this section of the state and was the third regent of the Chemung Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revo- lution, filling that office continuously for a period of ten years, when she resigned. This is one of the largest chapters of southern New York, having a membership of three hundred. She is a charter member of the Wednesday Morning Club, of which only seven of the original members are now living. She is a strong suffragist and was one of the first to join the movement. She is an indefatigable worker in behalf of the cause and has entertained at her home all of the celebrities who have visited Elmira for the purpose of delivering addresses on the subject of woman suffrage.
Mr. and Mrs. Wyckoff became the parents of five children, three of whom survive. Florence Adele completed a four-year course in agriculture at Cornell University and is engaged in the raising of chickens-a line of activity in which she has been very successful. She is the wife of Frank Upson, a well known agriculturist of Dundee, New York. Her sister, Frances Sibyl, married Thomas F. Bennett, a promi- nent attorney of Elmira, and they have five children: Thomas Wyckoff, Alice Mar- garet, Florence Mary, Ernest Joseph and David Collins. Ernestine Brooks is the wife of Dr. Pugh, a veteran of the World war and one of the leading surgeons of Utica, New York.
Mr. Wyckoff was a boy of nine at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war and during the progress of that memorable conflict peddled apples to the soldiers. He was an adherent of the republican party but never aspired to public office, giving his undivided attention to the conduct of his business. He was a Knight Templar Mason and a worthy exemplar of the craft. He was a progressive business man, a loyal citizen, a true friend, a devoted husband and father, and his memory is cherished by all who knew him.
WILLIAM FREDERICK YUST.
William Frederick Yust, who has been the capable incumbent in the position of librarian of the Rochester public library since April, 1912, is widely recognized as one of the representative and substantial citizens of western New York. He was born in Canton, Missouri, on the 10th of November, 1869, a son of Fred and Dora (Kreie) Yust. When he was five years old his family was among the pioneers who moved in covered wagons to the vicinity of Hutchinson, Kansas. His boyhood was spent there on a farm. From the country school he went to Central Wesleyan Col- lege at Warrenton, Missouri, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1893. He studied Latin, Greek and modern languages between the years 1894 and 1899 at the University of Chicago, where he also began his library work, going from there to the New York State Library School at Albany, and after a two-year course received the degree of B. L. S. Following his graduation from the Central Wesleyan College he taught in the public schools of Illinois in 1893 and 1894. For a period of four years, from 1896 until 1900, he acted as assistant in the reference and circulation departments of the University of Chicago Library, while from 1901 until 1904 he filled the position of assistant state inspector of libraries in New York. In January, 1905, he was made librarian of the Louisville Free Public Library, thus serving until March, 1912, and since April of the latter year he has been librarian of the public library in Rochester, New York, in which connection the value of his efficient services is widely attested and appreciated. During the World war he served as Camp Librarian at Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, South Caro- lina; Camp Beauregard, Alexandria, Louisiana, and the Marine Barracks, Parris Island, South Carolina. His high standing among librarians is indicated in the fact that he occupied the presidency of the Kentucky Library Association from 1907 until 1912 and of the New York State Library Association in 1917 and 1918. He is a life member of the American Library Association and a frequent contributor to library publications. He wrote the chapter entitled "Legislation" in the manual of Library Economy which was published by the American Library Association in 1912. Since 1922 he has given the annual lectures on library buildings to the New York State Library School.
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On the 17th of January, 1906, Mr. Yust was united in marriage to Miss Florence Hosmer French of Albany and they have become the parents of four children: Har- lan F., W. Frederick, Dorothea and Augusta B. Mr. Yust is a member of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce, the Social Workers, the Rochester Historical So- ciety, of which he has been the recording secretary since 1914, the Rochester Ad Club, the Rotary Club, the City Club and the Central Presbyterian church. He makes his home at No. 333 Frank street in Rochester and has won an extensive circle of warm friends in the city during the years of his residence here.
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
On the 12th of June, 1897, Bishop McQuaide informed the pastor of St. Patrick's church of Mount Morris that the Catholics of Moscow (now Leicester), who were included in the Mount Morris parish, desired a church of their own. Father Day, of Mount Morris, announced to his congregation on Sunday, June 13, the Bishop's de- cision and asked the Moscow members to appoint a committee to confer with him, which was done. It was ascertained at this meeting that the former Baptist church property in Moscow, owned by Sarah C. Wemple, could be bought reasonably. The Bishop's assent was obtained and Father Day, John McMahon and B. E. Brophel were appointed to negotiate the purchase. The sum of twelve hundred dollars was paid for the property, which on the 16th of July was deeded to St. Thomas Aquinas church. A sanctuary, altar and confessional were built and an organ, vestments and the neces- sary furniture were secured. The remodeled building was dedicated September 19. The church was supplied by the priests of Mount Morris until the coming of the first resident priest, Rev. Herman J. Schafer, to Leicester, March 17, 1916. He built the parish house in the latter part of 1916 and works earnestly and effectively to extend the influence of the church, which now has two hundred and ten communicants. He also serves the mission at Cuylerville, which has a membership of three hundred, and gives his whole heart to the work in which he is engaged.
REV. HERMAN J. SCHAFER.
Rev. Herman J. Schafer was born March 23, 1885, at Hornell, New York, a son of Jacob and Mary (Baker) Schafer, the former of whom is deceased. His early edu- cation was acquired in a parochial school of his native town, and he afterward at- tended the St. Andrew and St. Bernard Seminaries in Rochester. He was ordained to the priesthood on the 10th of June, 1911, and was appointed assistant at Clyde, New York, where he remained for three years. He was then assigned to St. Anthony's church at Elmira, New York, of which he had charge for six months, and on the ex- piration of that period went to Geneseo with the Rev. George T. Jones, pastor of the church in that village. Father Schafer served the missions at Cuylerville and Retsof until March 17, 1916, when he was assigned to the St. Thomas Aquinas parish at Leicester, becoming its first resident priest. His is a sincere and devoted service in behalf of Catholicism, and his influence has been a beneficial factor for good.
GEORGE ALLEN SWEET.
George Allen Sweet was a pioneer nurseryman of Dansville and from 1869 until 1885 was a partner of J. B. Morey, Sr. In June, 1884, he became associated with George W. Whitney and they operated under the name of the former until 1889, catering only to the wholesale trade. In 1889 the firm became known as George W. Whitney & Company, and in 1896 a retail department was established, at which time the company began issuing a semi-annual catalogue. For many years George A. Sweet was president of the Dansville Nurserymen's Association, and he was also honored with the presidency of the National Nurserymen's Association. He filled that office for two years and was likewise prominently identified with two national protective associations for nurserymen. He was an acknowledged leader in his chosen field of labor, and his demise occurred in November, 1912, while his wife passed away in 1921. George A. Sweet was for many years president of the Greenmount Cemetery Associa-
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tion and was liberal with time and means for its improvement. In 1915 his family erected the memorial entrance to the cemetery.
George A. Sweet married Clara ~Maxwell, daughter of Olney B. Maxwell, who was identified with the business interests of Dansville for a third of a century. Of the . children born to Mr. and Mrs. Sweet two survive: Maxwell, a resident of Dansville, and Lizzie, who is the wife of B. G. Readshaw and resides in Oakland, California.
CYRUS W. PHILLIPS.
Cyrus W. Phillips is a prominent and highly, esteemed member of the Rochester bar and has also aided in framing the laws of his state. He was born in this city on the 10th of September,' 1870," and" his parents were George W. and Elizabeth A. (Dark) Phillips, the former of whom" was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1834 and the latter in New York city in 1836 .? Representatives of the Phillips family removed from Connecticut to the Empire state in 1794, settling in Onondaga county. On the maternal side Cyrus W. Phillips is a direct descendant of Ezra Lockwood, who was a major in the Revolutionary war and represented Westchester county in the first New York state constitutional convention. George W. Phillips, the father of Mr. Phillips of this review, established his home in Rochester late in the '60s. His death occurred in Palmyra in 1912 and his wife passed away in 1915. i Cyrus W. Phillips attended school in Rochester and afterward in Syracuse. He read law in the office of Judge Irving G. Vann in Syracuse, New York, and was ad- mitted to the bar. in 1894, beginning his professional career in that city. He later located in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he practiced law for three years. On the expira- tion of that period he returned to Rochester and has since been located in this city. Mr. Phillips has been connected with some of the very important litigation before the courts of western New York and has long been accorded a most creditable position among the successful lawyers of Rochester. In 1908 he was elected a member of the state legislature, in which he served for six years, championing many measures which have since found their way to the statute books of this and other states. He is often referred to as the father of the workmen's compensation law, being the author of workmen's compensation laws in the state of New York and other states. He served as chairman of the judiciary committee in the state assembly, while subsequently he was chairman of the joint commission of the National Civic Federation and American Federation of Labor to investigate operation of compensation laws in other states. This commission included Samuel, Gompers, James Duncan and John Mitchell, these gentlemen representing labor. Mr. Phillips was appointed deputy state industrial commissioner in 1915 and later became state industrial commissioner, filling that office until June, 1923.
On October 25, 1897, Mr. Phillips was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Warner, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chauncey E. Warner, prominent residents of Syracuse. Mr. Phillips takes a keen interest in politics and is a stanch republican, being also a member of the National Republican Club of New York city. He is an Episcopalian in religious faith and his professional connections are with the Rochester and New York State Bar Associations. He belongs to the Rochester Chamber of Commerce. He has a high conception of the dignity and responsibility of his profession and has always been loyal to every trust reposed in him, whether of a public or private nature. Mr. Phillips' residence is at No. 6 Fairview Heights.
DANIEL WILL WOODS.
In the aristocracy based upon old names and long residence in the county, few families can rival that of D. W. Woods of Rushford, Allegany county, New York. For a century and a quarter the name of Woods has been honorably identified with the interests and development of Allegany county. Daniel Will Woods, now the repre- sentative of the historic name, is retired, after a life passed in various useful occupa- tions, while his son, Harlan H. Woods, in the field of journalism, is in the training period of life and bids fair worthily to uphold the prestige the family name has so long enjoyed, and even add to it new lustre. Daniel Will Woods was born July 25, 1857, in Rushford, the son of Milton and Emily (Fuller) Woods. Milton Woods was born in Rushford in 1831, where he became a teacher of vocal music and conducted
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various singing schools in the early days, among the residents. He married Emily, the daughter of Laartus Fuller, in 1853. Laartus Fuller was a native of Massa- chusetts, who moved to Allegany county. Milton Woods died in 1903. Daniel Woods, grandfather of D. W. Woods, was born in Windsor, Vermont, in 1792, and moved to Rushford, Allegany county, in 1801, settling in the locality now known as Podonque. Daniel Woods was the first of his name to settle in the Genesee country.
D. W. Woods received his education in the Rushford district public school and academy, teaching school for about five years after leaving these. Then for a time he was engaged in farming near Rushford, and for ten years was farming near Mount Morris, Livingston county, New York. For ten years he carried the mails and ran a bus line from Rushford to Caneadea, Rushford being an inland town. Mr. Woods bought the printing business of A. P. Benjamin in 1915, and since that time his son, Harlan H. Woods, has been editor of the Rushford Spectator, a new building being erected for the business by Mr. Woods after he had purchased it in 1915. Fraternally Mr. Woods is affiliated with the Masonic order and is a member of Joseph Enos Lodge in Rushford. In his political views he is a member of the republican party.
On June 27, 1878, Mr. Woods was married to Ida White, daughter of Henry Kirk and Marena White of Rushford, whose ancestors came to America in the Mayflower. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Woods: Fred Kirk Woods, employed in Rochester, New York, and married to Adeline Hill of Manistique, Michigan; Robert Bruce Woods, employed in Rochester, New York, and married to Cora Caner of Rushford; Marena Woods, the wife of Earl Carney, a dairy farmer, who lives near Silver Springs, New York; and Harlan Henry Woods.
Harlan Henry Woods has been editor of the Rushford Spectator since 1915, and has made it a paper of influence and importance in local affairs. He is married, his wife having formerly been Hazel Estabrook, daughter of Roy Estabrook of Caneadea, Allegany county. Mr. Woods has a distinguished World war record. He enlisted when the United States entered the war, and was assigned to the Three Hundred and Fourth Field Artillery of the Seventy-seventh Division, served one year in France as a first-class private, and was in five major offensives. Mr. Woods is affiliated with the Masonic order and is past master of Joseph Enos Lodge, No. 318, F. & A. M. In his political views he is a republican and his paper supports the policies of the party. He is a member of the Cattaraugus-Allegany Press Association, the Western New York Publishers Association and the New York State Press Association. Mr. Woods is a practical printer and learned the trade from the former owner of the paper he now edits and publishes.
VERN E. REICHARD.
Vern E. Reichard of Perry, Wyoming county, one of the city's well known young business men, was born in Nunda, New York, March 24, 1883, the son of Adelbert and Laura (Veley) Reichard. His father, who died December 8, 1908, was a farmer by occupation and spent most of his life in the neighborhood of Nunda, as did his father before him. The grandfather, Michael Reichard, was the first of the family to locate in this part of the Empire state, coming here about 1820 and remaining until his death.
After finishing his education in the district school of Nunda, Vern E. Reichard entered the employ of the Perry Knitting Mills of this city, where he remained for a period of about three years. Thinking that he might be better satisfied with another line of work, the young man left the Perry mills to go to Niagara Falls, where he found work in one of the big electrical concerns of that place. A short experience in this field convinced him that his future lay in the textile industry, so he returned to Perry and secured a position in his old firm, the Perry Knitting Mills. Here he worked continuously for fourteen years, filling all the positions from that of knitter to superintendent of the plant. In 1919 he resigned his position as superintendent of the Perry Knitting Mills to organize the Perry Textile Company, of which he became director and manager.
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